2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 25:3

Say to the Ammonites is still part of God’s command to Ezekiel. This clause may be rendered “and this is what you must say to them” or simply “and tell them” (Contemporary English Version).

Hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD: This is an elaborate and emphatic introduction to the prophecy against Ammon. Translators would do well to retain as much of this emphatic terminology as possible. Lord renders the Hebrew word ʾadonai, and GOD renders “Yahweh” (YHWH in Hebrew). This clause may be rendered “Listen to the message of the Lord Yahweh” (similarly New International Reader’s Version). New Century Version has “This is what the Lord GOD says.”

Because you said, ‘Aha!’ over my sanctuary when it was profaned …: The rest of this verse presents the sin of the Ammonites. They gloated over the destruction of the Temple, the desolation of Judah, and the exile of its people. The Hebrew word rendered Aha is an expression of “malicious glee” (Greenberg), where someone is “glad” (New Century Version) at the misfortune of others. You said, ‘Aha!’ may be rendered “you cried ‘Hurrah!’ ” (Revised English Bible), “You celebrated” (Contemporary English Version), “You were delighted” (Good News Translation), or “you gloated” (New Jerusalem Bible, Moffatt). The Ammonites gloated over my sanctuary when it was profaned, that is, when the Temple was destroyed and made ritually unclean. For the Hebrew verb rendered profaned, see 7.21. Translators may render this whole sentence as “You were happy when enemies made my Temple unfit for my worship [or, unfit for my presence].”

And over the land of Israel when it was made desolate: The Ammonites also celebrated when the land was left in ruins, empty and deserted (compare 14.15-16).

And over the house of Judah when it went into exile: They also were delighted when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and took its people as captives to Babylonia. The house of Judah does not refer to a building, but to the people who had lived in and around Jerusalem. Because these people were the only ones left of the kingdom of Israel, Ezekiel normally does not distinguish between Israel and Judah; no distinction is meant here (see the comments on 4.4-6). Exile refers to people being forced to live in a foreign country and not allowed to return home (see 1.1). This clause may be rendered “and when enemies took the people of Judah captive.”

Verses 3-5 very often need to be restructured. See the model at the end of the discussion on verse 5.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .